Draft-rigging for railway-cars.



PATENTED JUNE 13, 1905.

J. P. OGONNOR. DRAFT RIGGING FOR RAILWAY CARS.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 27. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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PATENTED JUNE 13, 1905.

J. F. OGONNOR. DRAFT RIGGING FOR RAILWAY CARS.

APPLIGATIQN FILED FEB. 27, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

hVVE/yTO/C. ohn F 0 80/7/70/ UNITED STATES iPatented June 13,1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. OCONNOR, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO WV. H. MINER COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

DRAFT-RIGGI NG FOR RAILWAY-CARS- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 792,156, dated June 13, 1905.

Application filed February 27, 1905. Serial No. 247.475.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that LJOHN F. OCoNNoR,a citizen of the United States, residing in Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Draft-Rigging for Railway-Cars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in draft-rigging for railway-cars.

The object of my invention is to provide a railway-car draft-rigging of a strong, simple, eflicient, and durable construction which may be readily and conveniently applied and removed from the car when required, which will be compact in form and occupy comparatively small space, which may be made of any desired tension or cushioning power,and which will exert both a direct spring resistance and also a frictional resistance to the movement of the draw-bar in both pulling and bufling and in which the springs will be free from all danger of receiving any permanent set or injury however great or severe may be the strain to which'they are subjected.

My invention consists in the means I employ to practically accomplish this object or resultthat is to say, it consists, in combination with the draw-bar and draw-bar strap or extension and the draft-sills and side or cheek plates secured thereto and provided each with stops 01' shoulders to limit the movement of the reciprocating spring cage or box and furnished each with a bearing to receive the end of a series of straight flat transversely-extending springs, of a reciprocating cage or box carried by the draw-bar and embraced and surrounded by its strap or yoke and having a spring-containing chamber or opening to receive the series of straight fiat transversely-arranged springs and provided with curved or convex front and rear faces or walls to engage and bear against the straight flat springs at their middle portion and a series of straight flat springs fitting in the chamber of the reciprocating spring box or case and engaging at their opposite ends the bearings in the stationary side or cheek plates, so that when the draw-bar moves under pulling or buffing strains in either direction the series of straight flat springs are bent and put under tension, and thus exert a direct spring resistance as well as a frictional resistance, due to the slipping movement of the series of flat spring-plates on each other as they are flexed, the series of flat spring-plates being at all times snugly pressed and held together by the reciprocating spring box or case carried by the draw -bar and containing the springs in connection with the bearings on the side plates or stop-castings for the opposite ends of the springs. The bearings for the end of the springs in the stationary side plates or stop-castings are preferably furnished with rockers or oscillating trunnions having each a socket to receive the ends of the springs, so that the springs may fit snugly in these rockers, While permitting the springs to be bent or flexed as the draw-bar moves backward or forward, thus also causing the transversely-arranged flat springs to also serve as a means for automatically centering the drawbar or restoring it to its central position after it has been swung laterally to one side, as it necessarily does when the train passes around curves.

My invention also consists in the novel construction of parts and devices and in the novel combinations of parts and devices herein shown or described.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure l is a side elevation, partly in vertical longitudinal section, of a draft-rigging embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view partly in horizontal section. Fig. 3.is a cross-section on line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective modification in which the spring box or case is made in two separate pieces, the same being simply connected by the draw-bar and its Fig. 7 is a plan view illusstrap or extension.

trating a modification in which two series of flat springs are employed, and Fig. 8 is a plan view illustrating a further modification.

In the drawings, A A represent the center or draft sills or framework of a car to which the draft-rigging is applied; A, the front or cross sill; A the carry-iron; B, the car-coupler; B, the d raw-bar, and B the draw-bar strap, yoke, or extension secured to the drawbar in the customary manner by bolts or rivets b and interengaging shoulders b b i D D are the side plates, cheek-plates, or stop-castings having front and rear stops d d and secured to the draft sills or frame of the car through the anchor-plates A with which in the construction illustrated in the drawings the center sills AA are provided. The anchor-plates A are firmly and rigidly secured to the sills A by rivets a and angle-plates a and bolts (0 which extend through the front or cross sill. Bolts or rivets d secure the side or cheek plates D to the anchor-plates A Each of the side plates or stop-castings D is provided with a bearing (Z to receive the end of the series of straight flat springs F. The spring-bearing d is preferably furnished with a rocker or oscillating trunnion (1 having a socket (Z to receive the end of the series of springs F, the socket preferably fitting the springs snugly. The springs are thus normally held nested closely together at their ends.

G is a reciprocating spring box or case carried by and moving with the draw-bar B and surrounded and embraced by the d raw-bar extension, strap, or yoke B. This reciprocating spring box or cage G is furnished with a chamher or opening G, extending transversely through it, to receive the series of straight flat springs F, the front and rear walls g g of this chamber being curved or convex to engage the springs at their middle portion and to cause the surface of engagement between these curved bearing faces or walls and the springs to gradually increase as the springs are more and more flexed, and thus producing a gradually-increasing spring resistance or a graduated spring effect as the draw-bar continues its movement. The reciprocating spring box or case G is provided with guide flanges or shoulders on its upper and lower faces to receive the draw-bar extension or strap B and thus hold the box or case G rigid in respect to the draw-bar. To permit the necessary lateral or swinging movement of the draw-bar, the reciprocating spring box or case G is provided with inclined or beveled faces g at its opposite sides,thus enabling the draw-bar and the case or box G to rock or swing laterally without causing the case or box G to bind against the side plates or stop-castings D. The stops (Z (Z on the side plates or stop-castings D limit the reciprocating movement of the draw-bar and of the spring box or case G carried thereby, thus limiting the extent to which the springs may be flexed, and thus preventing all danger of the springs receiving a permanent set. The side plates or stop-castings D are each furnished with an integral upper guide or flange d and with a removable guide or plate (Z between which the spring box or case G reci procates, thus supporting and guiding the spring-box Gr and draw-bar. The removable guide or plate (i is secured to the side plates or stop-castings D by bolts d", so that by simply removing these bolts the drawbar and case G and the springs F and rockers or oscillating trunnions (Z may be readily removed or replaced. The anchor-plates A are each provided with notches or recesses to receive the spring-bearings (Z of the side plates or stop-castings D.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 6 the springbox or case G is made in two separate parts or pieces G G, the same being connected by the draw-bar B and its strap or yoke B In the modification illustrated in Fig. 7 two sets or series of flat springs are employed, and the spring box or case G is provided with two spring-chambers, each having convex front and rear walls, thus giving a tandem-spring arrangement. In this modification, as also in that illustrated in Fig. 8, the oscillating trunnion or rocker which receives the ends of the springs is of a somewhat modified construction, being made with inclined flat faces (Z10 and. with curved or rounded front and rear faces d. This makes the rockers of this thinned or flattened construction require less room in the direction of the length of the springs.

In operation bufling strains or blows are cushioned by the spring and frictional action of the series of straight flat spring-plates F, which the reciprocating spring case or box G causes to spring or bend. backward under buffing blows. In pulling, the springs are caused to bend forward by engagement with the rear convex bearing-face of the spring box or case G. The rockers or oscillating trunnions CZ" turn backward or forward slightly as the springs bend. Any lateral or swinging movement of the draw-bar also flexes .the springs, thus causing the draw-bar to return to its central position in respect to the car. The stops on the side or cheek plates D, by engagement with the reciprocating ease or box G, limit the extent of flexure of the springs and prevent their being bent beyond their elastic limit and the production of a permanent set therein. As the ends of the straight flat springs are securely held stationary by the bearings therefor in the side plates or stopcastings, any flexure of the springs by engagement with the convex or curved bearing-faces of the case or box G also causes the springplates to slip or slide in respect to each other,

thus causing africtional as well'as'a direct spring resistance to the movement of the draw-bar.

I claim- I 1. In a draft-rigging, the combination with side plates or stop-castings furnished with bearings for securing and embracing the opposite ends of a series of straight, fiat springplates, of a draw-bar and draw-bar strap or extension, a reciprocating spring box or case carried by and moving with the draw-bar, and provided with a chamber to receive a series of straight flat spring-plates, said chamber having curved or convex front and rear walls or bearing-faces to engage said spring-plates at their middle, and a series of straight fiat spring-plates fitting within said reciprocating box or case, and extending transversely of the draw-bar, and having their ends fitting and anchored in the bearings of said side plates or stop-castings, substantially as specified.

2. In a draft-rigging, the combination with side plates or stop-castings furnished with bearings for receiving and anchoring the opposite ends of a series of straight fiat springplates, of a draw-bar and draw-bar strap or extension, a reciprocating spring box or case carried byand moving with the draw-bar, and provided with a chamber to receive a series of straight flat spring-plates, said chamber having curved or convex front and rear walls or bearing-faces to engage said spring-plates at their middle, a series of straight flat springplates fitting within said reciprocating box or case and extending transversely to the draw-bar, and having their ends fitting and anchored in the bearings of said side plates or stop-castings, said bearings for the ends of the springs being furnished with rockers or oscillating trunnions, substantially as specified.

3. In a draft-rigging, the combination with a draw-bar and draw-bar strap or extension, of a spring box or case embraced and carried thereby, and furnished with a spring-chamber having curved or convex front and rear walls, a series of flat straight spring-plates in said box or case, and side or check plates having bearings for the ends of said springs, said bearings for the ends of said springs having rockers furnished with sockets to receive the ends of the springs, substantially as specified.

I. In a draft-rigging, the combination with a draw-bar and draw-bar strap or extension, of a spring box or case embraced and carried thereby having curved bearings to engage the springs, a series of flat straight spring-plates in said box or case between said curved bearings, and side plates or stop-castings having front and rear stops engaging said box or case, and hearings to engage the ends of the springs, substantially as specified.

5. In a draft-rigging, the combination with a draw-bar and draw-bar strap or extension, of a spring box or case embraced and carried thereby having curved bearings to engage the springs, a series of flat straight plates in said box or case between said curved bearings, and side plates or stop-castings having front and rear stops engaging said box or case and bearings to engage the ends of the springs, and rockers or trunnions in said bearings, substantially as specified.

6. In a draft-rigging, the combination with side or cheek plates having bearings furnished with removable rockers provided with sockets to receive the ends of flat springs, of a series of spring-plates extending transversely between said side or cheek plates, a draw-bar furnished with convex or curved bearings carried thereby to engage the springs, substantially as specified.

7. In a draft-rigging, the combination with side or cheek plates having spring-bearings, of a series of spring-plates extending transversely between said side or cheek plates, and adraw-bar having convex bearings to engage the springs at their middle, said springbearings on the side or cheek plates having rockers to receive the ends of the springs, substantially as specified.

8. In a draft-rigging, the combination with side or check plates having spring-bearings, of a series of spring-plates extending transversely between said side or check plates, and a draw-bar having convex bearings to engage the springs at their middle, said springbearings on the side or cheek plates having movable rockers to receive the ends of the springs, substantially as specified.

9. In a draft-rigging, the combination with side or cheek plates, having rocker-bearings, of a series of spring-plates extending transversely between said side or cheek plates and fitting at their ends in said rocker-bearings on the cheek-plates, and a draw-bar and drawbar strap having convex bearings engaging said springs at their middle, substantially as specified.

10. In adraft-rigging, the.combination with side or check plates having bearings for the ends of transversely-extending spring-plates, of a series of spring-plates extending transversely between said side or cheek plates and fitting at their ends in said bearings on said side or cheek plates, of a draw-bar and drawbar extension and a spring-case carried thereby and having a chamber to receive said springs, furnished with convex front and rear walls to engage the springs at their middle, substantially as specified.

11. Inadraft-rigging, the combination with side or cheek plates having bearings for the ends of transversely-extending spring-plates, of a series of spring-plates extending transversely between said side or cheek plates and fitting at their ends in said bearings on said side or cheek plates, of a draw-bar and drawbar extension and a spring-case carried there- Alt by and having a chamber to receive said springs, furnished with convex front and rear walls to engage the springsat their middle, said side or cheek plates having front and rear stops to engage said spring-case carried by the draw-bar, substantially as specified.

12. In a draft-rigging, the combination with side or check plates having bearings for the ends of transversely-extendin g spring-plates, of a series of spring-plates extending transversely between said side or cheek plates and fitting at their ends in said hearings on said side or cheek plates, of a draw-bar and drawbar extension and a spring-case carried thereby and having a chamber to receive said springs, furnished with convex front and rear walls to engage the springs at their middle, said side or check plates having front and rear stops to engage said spring-case carried by the draw-bar, and said side cheek-plates having upper integral guides and a lower removable guide-plate, substantially as specified.

1.3. In a draft-rigging, the combination with wares longitudinal sills, of anchor-plates A secured thereto andprojecting below the sills, with side or check plates secured to said anchor-plates and provided with bearings to receive the ends of the transversely-arranged fiat spring-plates, a draw-bar and draw-bar extension, and a spring-case carried thereby and provided with front and rear convex bearings to engage the springs, substantially as specified.

14. In a d raft-rigging, the combinationwith the center or draft sills, of anchor-plates secured thereto and projecting below the sills, and side plates or stop-castings secured to said anchor-plates, said side plates or stop-castings having bearings to receive the ends of trans versely-arranged springs, and said anchorplates having notches to receive the bearings of the side or check plates, substantially as specified.

JOHN F. OCONNOR. Witnesses:

H. M. MUNDAY, EDMUND ADoocK. 

